I Finally See
by kuppcake
Summary: Edward and Bella have been friends for years, but after he breaks up with Jessica in front of the entire school, Bella is his first choice as his prom date. Bella accepts believing she is simply a placeholder to spare Edward the embarrassment of going solo. One Shot & Future Take AU/All Human/ Canon Couples
1. Chapter 1

The maroon doors of the cafeteria flew open and made a resounding bang against the wall. Every head snapped towards the sound. As teenagers, we're pretty nosey so it was no surprise when conversations came to halt. Everyone wanted to know what was going on. I even leaned around Alice to get a better look.

 _You have no shame, Swan._

 _Very true._

He marched into the room, his 6'1 frame tense and toned in all of my favorite places. His arms were hugged by the sleeves of his black and white baseball tee. As one of his best friends, I have had the pleasure of seeing him shirtless on many occasions, like trips to La Push, or when Emmett dumped glitter on him last year during the homecoming float decoration. Rose had called him Chippendale for a week.

The only thing out of place was his pissed off expression. His brows, that matched his almost bronze hair, were furrowed and his cupid's bow was pulled into a tight line. Emmett and Jasper flanked him and didn't look happy either; lips set in deep frowns.

Everyone leaned forward when Jessica ran into the room, almost stumbling as she came to a halting stop. Her red eyes and tear streaked cheeks made it clear that she was upset.

"Edward, please!" She shoved herself between Emmett and Jasper and grabbed the back of Edward's shirt. I tried not to stare too intently as the fabric pulled taut across his chest.

 _Bless the Lord, Esme, and Carlisle_.

Edward whipped around, forcing her to let go of his shirt and took a step away from her.

"You're embarrassing yourself, Jessica. Please stop," he said. His voice was strained. It reminded me of the time his mom rearranged his room when we were fourteen. He had spoken in a voice just like the one he was using now before he blew a fuse. Of course, he had apologized not even ten minutes later. I didn't think he'd be apologizing for anything said today.

"You can't break up with me! Prom is in two weeks. What am I supposed to do?" she said.

He opened his mouth to reply but she continued yelling. "Your mom is going to be furious. She loves me!"

 _Wrong move, Jess. Never bring Mama Cullen into an argument._

Jasper and Emmett looked at each other and took a large step back. Jasper, especially, looked mildly uncomfortable with the irritation that seemed to rolling off of Edward in waves.

I looked around and noticed a few smirks on people's faces. It didn't surprise me in the least bit. Jessica was a bitch. She acted like a tyrant most of the time. I had been present on the few occasions that she had managed to make some underclassmen cry.

 _Classy_

Edward sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Look Jessica, I'm being pretty nice here considering everything. One, I don't give two shits about who you go to prom with. You didn't care about me when you were –" he pauses to take another deep breath. "Two, my mother is too nice to say this to your face but she can't stand you or your gossiping mother. She sure as hell won't like you when finds out you cheated on me. Twice!"

"I mean come on, Mike frickin' Newton! Does he know you slept with Tyler, his best friend?" Gasps and whispers started all around the room. "I'm done with you."

Edward turned away and marched towards the lunch line, his stride long and heavy.

Rosalie turned from the scene to look at us, a mischievous glint in her eyes when she locked eyes with me. "Maybe now he'll realize you've been right in front of him all along."

"Rose, no talking and chewing!" Alice said with an appalled look.

"Yes, Rose that's very unladylike," I chimed in, ignoring her comment.

She replied with an eye roll. "Yeah, cause you know all about being a lady," she murmured.

I rolled my eyes but didn't indulge her with a response.

Edward and I met in sixth grade when I first moved to Forks, Washington. My mom Renee had realized that she was too adventurous and a bit too reckless to take care of a child the way she should. So, I found myself being shipped off to live with my father, Charlie. On my first day, Alice had excitedly welcomed me into their little group, saying the gang was finally all here. The others didn't argue.

It sounds cliché but I was pretty sure my heart stopped the first time I saw Edward in art class. It wasn't the awesome red Iron Man shirt that caught my attention, but his odd hair and green eyes. He smiled at me and asked me if I needed to borrow his scissors. I had shyly nodded and accepted them. We had been friends ever since. The others were not ignorant to my feelings for Edward.

I watched him grow into a gorgeous guy, who was nice to pretty much everyone, as long as you were a decent person. As we got older, girls like Jessica started to fawn over him. I'll admit I was intimidated by them.

I'm not saying I'm not decent looking, but I could care less about what's trending and who's dating who. I'd much rather sit around reading a book or even taking some swings at the batting cages even though I'd miss the ball most of the time. With my dad raising me, I became a bit of a tomboy. No shame in that. It just seemed that Edward was attracted to girly girls and I can't be mad at him for that. To each their own.

As usual, Alice had popped over to my house this morning and harassed me about my outfit choice. I escaped having been coerced into a tight pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and ballet flats. I had managed to get away with my blue and white striped Avengers t-shirt.

I was brought back to the present when Emmett sat down across from me grinning. His large form was hard to miss; wide shoulders and arms that looked like they could bend steel. You would think he would be a jackass, he is. But, he's also a goofball. His brown curly hair and mischievous blue eyes destroyed all feelings of intimidation I felt when I first met him.

"Nice shirt, Bells," he complimented.

"Thanks, Em."

Jasper lowered his lean form onto the bench across from Alice and I could see his cheeks go pink when she gave him a small smile. We all knew they were meant for each other, but neither had stepped up and shared their feelings. Alice had said something about waiting for the right moment. She always said weird things like that.

On the other hand, Rose and Emmett had been straight forward in telling each other what they wanted back in seventh grade. There were plenty of times where we all wished they wouldn't be so straightforward about their relationship, especially when it came to public displays of affection. I had seen their tongues intertwined more than my stomach could stand. I wondered briefly what next year would be like without them scarring my corneas after they graduated in a few weeks.

"Who knew Eddie could be so badass," Rosalie said just as Edward reached our table.

He glared at her but didn't respond as he dropped his tray on the table haphazardly, his poor bottle of water falling over. We all knew he hated being called Eddie.

"I totally did," Alice said.

"If you need a hug, I'm sure Bells would be happy to hold you close," Emmett said with a huge grin. He loved to work my nerves. I would have kicked him but I would probably do more damage to my own foot than I would to his massive limbs.

"Hardy har," I said rolling my eyes before I turned to Edward, "If you need one of my famous hugs, I will offer one as a last resort to maintain your emotional stability," I told him, being admittedly a little cheeky. The others chuckled around us.

Edward narrowed his green eyes at me as he smirked. "I'll keep that in mind. You do give good hugs."

"You would think her little arms wouldn't do much but …" Alice trailed off playfully.

"Shut up, I could break you in half," I said. The table erupted into laughter, Emmett's booming voice standing out.

For the rest of the week, Jessica did seemingly everything she could to get Edward to forgive her. He in return did everything he could to avoid her; being the first one out of class, staying late after football practice under the guise of discussing plays with the coach. He even ate lunch out on the field sometimes, the rest of us joining him in his hiding. We avoided all discussion of the ex-girlfriend, as if like Lord Voldemort, she would appear if someone spoke her name; a taboo placed on the syllables.

A week later, she was on Mike's arm, who obviously didn't care that she had slept with his best friend. It was that or he simply wanted to rub it in Edward's face that he was with her. Edward didn't seem fazed.

On Saturday afternoon, I was lying on my back staring at the ceiling. My headphones were in and music was playing but I had somehow muted it in my mind. My mind was on what I was going to do today. Charlie had gone to the reservation to go fishing with Billy Black and Harry Clearwater, leaving me money to order a pizza later. Emmett and Rosalie were out in Seattle at his cousin's wedding and in an event that made us all shout "Finally!", Jasper had finally made a move on Alice. They were spending the day in Port Angeles. I hadn't heard from Edward and I wasn't sure how I felt about hanging out with him by myself anymore.

When he was with Jessica, it was easy for me to shut out the voices in the back of head that spewed lovey dovey words of adoration because I wasn't the type of girl to encroach on someone's relationship. If he was happy, I accept my role as best friend. Now that he was unattached, it seemed like I didn't know how to act around him. This wasn't eighth grade anymore, he had grown up and it was hard to keep the truth from falling from my lips.

I was pulled from my thoughts as my phone began to vibrate. I huffed and rolled over and face planted into my pillow. I had been lying in the same spot for so long that I no longer wanted to get out of bed. The vibrations continued near my head so with a groan I shoved my hand under my pillow and grabbed the lazy day interrupting device.

"Hello." I'm sure my greeting sounded less than welcoming.

"Hi, Bella. This is Esme," her soft said.

I rolled onto my back and shot up into the upright position. "Hey, Esme. How's it going?"

Esme had never called me sounding so serious. Hell, the only time she and I spoke on the phone was last year when she wanted my help planning a surprise birthday for Edward. She was a sweet woman who cared deeply for those around her.

"Things would be going better if Edward would get out of bed. I went to check in on him this morning and he refused to get up. I asked him what was going on but he won't tell me."

He hadn't told her about Jessica? Edward had always fairly close with his parents, so I was surprised that he didn't share this development with them. Esme continued, bringing my attention back to our conversation.

"I was wondering if you could come over and drag him back into the world of the living," she said. She sounded exasperated and confused. I didn't blame her. Her son was acting out of the ordinary and she had no idea why.

"Sure, Esme. I'll be over in a few minutes," I said.

After a quick shower, I threw on a pair of old gym shorts and a black and burgundy Paramore t-shirt. I brushed my hair into a low ponytail, seeing no need to doll myself up.

I didn't make frequent visits to Edward's room, but I knew he wasn't a messy guy. That's why I was surprised when I opened his bedroom door to find clothes, shoes, and sheet music thrown haphazardly on the floor. His keyboard was on it's side, resting on the floor instead of on it's usual stand in the corner.

When I rang the doorbell moments ago, Esme had wrapped me in a quick but firm hug and told me to work my magic, as if she knew of my affinity to comfort my friends without much work.

I tiptoed through the wreckage of t-shirts, dirty socks, and pages, some crumbled, some riddled with notes that didn't manage to capture what Edward wanted to say with the piece. Reaching his full-sized bed, I leaned forward and tapped him on the head. He must not have been sleeping because with a second's hesitation he rolled over and poked his head out of the navy blue comforter.

"Bella?" he said, auburn hair sticking up in comical angles.

"That's my name," I said trying not to laugh at his rumpled appearance. I sat down on the bed and nudged him with my knee.

He huffed and reached out to swat the offending joint. "What are you doing here?" he said, voice groggy and deep with sleep. "And where are your pants?"

"Esme thought it was time to call in the big guns," I said flexing my arms. "And I happen to have on shorts."

He scoffed and rolled over, planting his face into his pillow.

"I think she called the wrong person. You've never even lifted a weight," he said into the fluffy cushion.

Feeling playfully affronted and suddenly brave, I reached out and slapped his butt. His very firm butt. He yelped and rolled away from me, thoroughly tangling himself in his blanket and sheets.

"I take offense to that, Cullen!"

"My ass is off limits, Swan!" he said rubbing the area I had hit.

"Whatever you big baby. Get up so I can give you one of my hugs and we can go on with life."

I stood from the bed and held my arms out.

He sighed and took his time untangling himself. When he was free I immediately noticed his lack of shirt, his toned upper body on full display. Not seeming to notice my wandering eyes, Edward made his way across the bed on his knees.

I took a deep breath and bit my lip before stepping forward.

He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head on top of his. I wondered momentarily if he could hear how hard my heart was pounding.

My thoughts were interrupted when he spoke. "You smell good," he mumbled into my collarbone. I resisted the urge to shudder at the feel of his breath across my skin. Instead, I giggled.

"Thanks."

We stayed that way for a few moments. When it feel like I had been holding him for more than a minute I began to fidget.

"Uh, Edward -"

A squeal left my lips as Edward lifted me up effortlessly and threw his body down onto the bed so I was forced to lie down with him.

He shifted so his head was on top of mine. "Now I can test your snuggling skills," he said into my hair.

"Edward, your mom wants you out of bed and socializing," I said softly. His warmth seemed to be seeping through my clothing and into my skin. Truthfully, it was hard to focus and convince him to get up with him this close to me.

"I'm socializing right now," he said. "Just nap with me for a while and then we can go get some food," he finished.

Although I couldn't see his face I could imagine the pout he often sported when he was trying to get his way. I sighed. Who wouldn't want to be in this spot with someone they had feelings for?

"Fine, but you're paying."

Edward chuckled. "Deal."

When I woke up some time later, Edward was already awake and staring at me intently. My stomach tightened as I sat up, his emerald gaze never leaving my face.

"What?" I said, my voice sounding more harsh than I wanted. He didn't even flinch.

"Go to prom with me," he said.

I froze.

"W-why would you want to go to prom with me? I mean there are so many other, more coordinated girls at our school." I said quickly. I wasn't even sure if he could understand what had just flew from my lips.

He rolled his eyes at me. "I want to go with you, hence why I just asked."

I narrowed my eyes. "Alright, sassy," I said crossing my arms under my chest. I didn't miss that his eyes dropped down and stared.

"Edward!" I said plucking his chest.

"What?" he said, and then he realized he had been caught. "Oh, right...sorry."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes at him. "Are you seriously asking me to prom?

"Yes."

What did this mean for us? If I went to prom with Edward and took cheesy pictures and slow danced, would I be able to do it as just his friend. Would being held against him as the entire school looked on make me want to finally tell him how I felt. As I looked at the boy in front of me I thought of what he must be thinking. His girlfriend cheated on him leaving him single and dateless right before prom. Prom; a night when it was expected that one of most well known guy's at school, from one of the town's highest earning families, had a date and a smile on his face. Now, enter the only remaining single female friend that he really had. Someone he knew didn't have a date, someone he wouldn't have to struggle through trying to make small talk and meeting her parents for the first time.

Edward wasn't doing this because he liked me. He was doing it because I was the most convenient and logical choice. So, I would go to junior-senior prom with him and suck it up. I would smile in all the pictures. I would be a good friend. No matter how much it would suck.

"Ok," I finally said.

"Ok you'll go with me?"

"Yes, Edward. I will go with you to prom."

I choked out a chuckle when he punched the air above his head.

"Thank you, Bella. I'll make sure you have an amazing time," he said.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, I'm starving. Where are we going to eat?"

Blue was the color Edward and I agreed on. I blushed like crazy but quickly swallowed down the giddiness I felt when he told me that it was his favorite color on me. He, of course, noticed my flushed face, and playfully teased me.

When word got around that Edward and I were going to prom together, I got my fair share of jealous glares. If looks could set someone alight, I'm sure I would have spontaneously combusted multiple times and been burnt to a crisp from all the hateful stares Jessica sent my way. A weird turn of events were the guys that were trying to convince me to go with them instead of Edward. Tyler Crowley had approached me in gym, Jacob Black even made a trip from the reservation to see if I needed a date. Edward even mentioned that a few of the guys on the baseball team had told him that they had wanted to ask me but couldn't work up the nerve.

Where were all these guys when I needed a date to the Valentine's Day Sweetheart dance? They had all flocked to ask girls like Alice, Lauren Mallory, and even the quiet but sweet Angela Weber got a few offers.

"Would you stop fidgeting! I don't want to burn you," Rosalie said.

"Just the possibility of being burned is what's making me fidget, Rose," I said, my knees bouncing.

"Shut it. I'm almost done," she said.

Alice was settled in front of the vanity mirror on the other side of her room doing her makeup. Rose and I were in front of her bathroom mirror as the blonde styled my hair. Alice's room was like a clothing boutique, _Sephora_ , and hair salon all in one. It was ridiculous. The only beauty things I owned were a liquid eyeliner Alice had given me and a tube of mascara that I'm sure needed to be replaced.

"You said the same thing ten minutes ago," Alice chimed in.

"You can shut it too, pixie," Rose growled out.

Ten minutes later Rosalie was actually done my hair. I was passed along to Alice who went through her dance and party makeup routine, this time using colors that were complimentary to my blue dress. After she was done I was handed a strapless lace bra and matching boy shorts and pushed into the bathroom. I had to argue with Alice in Victoria's Secret earlier to get out of wearing a thong. My argument of not needing it because my dress was flowy and would not cling to my backside was hard to beat.

The girls helped me into my strapless chiffon and silk Sherri Hill gown. I only knew that because Alice made a big deal about it when I chose it. My favorite thing about the dress was the ombre effect and bedding that covered the empire waist beneath the bust area. The top of the gown was a sky blue, the fabric around my hips was turquoise and flowed into a navy blue that overtook the area from my knees to the bottom of the gown. Under the dress I rocked a pair of sparkly silver heels. I had worn heels more than once so I wasn't afraid of the three-inch shoes I wore tonight.

"Mary-Alice, the boys are here!" Alice's mom, Carol, called from the downstairs. I found it funny that she refused to join the bandwagon to call Alice by the abbreviated version of her name as Alice had requested.

"Let's go ladies!" Alice squealed.

 _If she does that again my head might explode from the frequency._

I had never seen someone move so fast in heels as Alice when she rocketed out of her door, her lavender princess gown disappearing behind her. I looked at Rose who only rolled her eyes in response. I followed Rosalie in her red mermaid gown and we descended the stairs. Everyone's parents, plus my dad, stood at the bottom of the stairs in the front entryway of the house.

Edward's mouth was agape and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," my dad pitched in when he saw that Edward seemed to be frozen.

"Absolutely stunning, darling," Esme said. Carlisle, tall and blonde at her side, gave me a warm smile and agreed with his wife.

My attention shifted away from the parents when Edward took step towards me.

"You're perfect," he said lowly.

My cheeks were immediately on fire and he chuckled, running a finger down my cheek. My dad cleared his throat and the others laughed at our expense. We stepped apart and followed Carol's direction on where to stand for pictures.

When we arrived at prom we all quickly commandeered a table and sat down. Some couples had already made their way to the dance floor, but most people were still arriving.

"Let's go vote for prom court before too many people get here," Alice said. Rosalie and I nodded but the boys didn't seem interested.

"We'll be right back," I told Edward over the music. He gave me a small smile and nodded.

As we approached the table we caught sight of Jessica and Lauren Mallory standing to the side telling everyone to vote for Jessica. When we were a few feet away, her eyes locked on me and narrowed.

"You really worked your magic, Brandon. I'm not even sure how you got Swan to look decent," she shot at Alice, still glaring icy daggers at me.

Alice opened her mouth to respond but stopped when I put a hand on her arm.

"It's not worth it, Alice," I said.

"And you're not worth it, Swan," Jessica hissed. Lauren crossed her arms and smiled, looking smug.

"I know my worth, Jessica. I don't need you or anyone else to affirm it for me," I said grabbing a ballot off the table. Ignoring her, I skip over her name and checked the box next to Alice's name for princess. I picked Edward for prince, Emmett for king, and Rosalie for queen. I slipped the ballot into the box and stepped aside as Alice and Rose did the same.

"Enjoy your night, Jessica," I said before walking back the table where the boys sat. I didn't wait to see if Alice and Rose were following me or giving her a verbal lashing.

Edward quickly noticed the tension stewing. "Are you okay? Did she say something to you?" he said.

"Nothing original or worthwhile," I said not meeting his eye. "Do you want to dance?" I continued holding my hand out. I needed something to clear my mind from Jessica's biting words because as much as I wanted what I said to her to be true I could not one hundred percent say it was. I knew it took me ten times the effort to look the way girls like Jessica and Lauren did on a daily basis. I just wasn't that girl and I had just started to slowly accept that when Jessica tried to take a blowtorch to it.

"Sure," Edward said standing up. He placed his hand in mine and led us towards the dance floor. Our friends followed our lead and soon we were lost in the pulsing bass and the laughter that spewed when Emmett did some ridiculous dance move.

Dancing with Edward made it easy to ignore the jealous glares being thrown my way. Instead, I focused on the way the colorful lights made his green eyes look when they hit his face, or the way his hands tightened on my hips before he pulled me closer. Being in his arms made me feel safe, but sadly, I could not silence the voice in the back of my head that told me that this didn't mean the same thing to him that it did to me. The voice that told me that I was a place holder. Yes, he had been flirting far more than usual, and buying me lunch sometimes but he had yet to ask me out on any sort of real date or tell me he liked me in that way.

After a short break to grab food from the buffet and grab some water, we were back on the dance floor. Tyler Crowley danced by with Lauren, doing some sort of shimmy that I'm sure embarrassed her to no end. Angela Weber and her boyfriend Ben managed to find us in the crowd and joined our group. As much as I wanted this night to last, time seemed to have other plans as senior class president Tanya Denali made her way to the stage.

"Hey everyone! We'll be announcing the prom court in about fifteen minutes. So, if you have not already voted, please do so quickly," she said into the microphone.

The DJ began to play an upbeat song and Rose and Alice went crazy.

"I love this song!" Alice yelled. Emmett and Jasper laughed and stepped back to let their girlfriends do their thing.

I was getting read to join the duo when Edward placed a hand on my forearm. "Bella, can we talk for a minute?"

"Um, sure," I said hesitantly.

He led me out of one of the side doors of the gym and into the hallway. He doubled checked to make sure no one, particularly, the chaperons were lingering in the area. From the hall the lyrics to the music was muffled but the bass still vibrated through the linoleum flooring. I looked up from the tan floor when Edward took a deep breath.

"I know you're probably confused right now and I'm sorry for that," he paused. "I like you, Bella. I'm realizing that I like you more than I thought possible and that has scared the hell of me the last few days. I had been through all that shit with Jessica and I just -"

He stepped away from me and ran his hands through his hair. I couldn't even move or say anything. Was Edward really confessing his feelings for me right now? Did tonight mean the same thing to him that it did to me?

Edward whirled back around and began speaking again. "You've always been there and I realize that now. I just needed time. Even though I've always cared about you and we've been friends for years, I wasn't ready to jump into another relationship so soon. God, you've probably been so annoyed with me," he said, almost growling when he said the last part.

I fumbled with what to say for a moment. Edward was putting himself out there in a way I had yet to have the courage to do, so it was only fair that I open myself up as well.

"More like worried that I was just a stand in. Scared that you'd change your mind and find someone better...prettier," I said looking at the floor again.

"Bella," Edward began so low that I almost missed it over the music, "I'm an idiot for taking so long to see it, but there's no one more beautiful than you," he said.

I couldn't say anything as I felt my cheeks blaze. He chuckled and lifted my chin so I was looking at him. "There's that blush I love so much. No more wasting time, okay?"

"Okay," I said, my face breaking into a huge smile.

"Can I take you on real date some time this week?"

"Yes, but just so you know I enjoy naps and being tackled onto beds too," I said teasing him.

His eyes seemed to darken and I realized the possible innuendo. Instead of lingering and risking the possibility of moving too quickly, Edward cleared his throat and laughed. "My mom would kill me if I didn't take you out on a proper date."

I giggled at the image of Esme scolding him.

"Bella, can I kiss you?" he asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Yes," I said. With a burst of confidence I wrapped my arms his neck and pulled him towards me.

He leaned down and pressed his lips softly against my own. As I began to move my lips against his, his hands pressed against the small of my back, pulling me in closer until there was no space between our bodies. I gasped out as Edward bite my bottom lip. That gave him the chance to tangle our tongues. My fingers ghosted up the base of his head and locked themselves in his soft locks. Right as a groan rumbled in the back of his throat, Tanya's voice reached our ears.

"It's time to announce this year's prom court!"

Edward groaned louder, this time in frustration, before he pulled away. I giggled at his adorable pout and slightly swollen lips.

"Come on, lover boy," I said and pulled him back into the gym.

Our friends with their perceptiveness must have drawn the right conclusion from our interlocked fingers when we rejoined them because Alice and Rosalie gave me a thumbs up and Emmett clapped Edward on the back, almost knocking him over.

"First, we'll do prince and princess," Tanya said. The junior class cheered in response. "Your prince is...Edward Cullen!"

I grinned when Edward playfully rolled his eyes at us. He let go of my hand as Emmett and Jasper pushed him towards the stage. We all laughed, probably too loud, as Em starting whooping like Edward had just won the presidential election of the United States. We laughed harder and I had to clutch my stomach as Tanya's "assistant" fought to keep the crowd on Edward's now unruly hair. It had been gelled down and perfect before we went into the hall. Alice seemed to realize that as she nudged me.

"Shut up," I said with a giggle, my cheeks blazing.

"Okay, now I'd like announce that your princess is…" she pulled a slip of paper from the envelope, "Alice Brandon!"

Emmett whooped even louder before carrying Alice bridal style to the stage. He sat her down upright and bowed down. I could see her eye roll from our spot in the middle of the room.

After Emmett and Rosalie were announced as king and queen, Edward sauntered over and escorted me out onto to floor for the traditional prom court spotlight dances. Jasper joined Alice and rolled his eyes at how giddy his girlfriend was to be wearing a tiara.

"Tonight has been amazing," I said into Edward's ear. I grinned at the visible shiver that went down his back.

"I'm glad you feel that way," he said pulling me closer.


	2. Chapter 2

_Future Take_

"And no surprise here folks, your prom king is Edward Cullen and his queen is Bella Swan!" Angela said.

Edward beamed at me before placing a chaste kiss on my lips. "Let's go, my queen."

We'd worn green this year, to match his eyes, at my request of course. To say the past year had been a whirlwind for us would be a bit dramatic. Yes, things had changed but nothing so drastic to create a real stir. Edward and I had transitioned from best friends to a couple without a real struggle. It wasn't a hard feat on my end because my feelings for him were never just platonic. He hadn't been happy to hear that I kept them a secret for so long.

 _Flashback_

 _We were on the way to Edward's 17th birthday dinner. For some reason the topic of past crushes came up._

 _"Well I thought he was jerk, so Emmett threatened him so he'd leave you alone," he said._

 _"Oh my gosh, Edward! I thought it was because he thought I was ugly when I had to get braces. You knew I was self-conscious because of the braces. I held my mouth funny for two months."_

 _His only response to laugh. He got quiet and seemed to sober up._

 _"What?" I asked at his sudden shift in mood._

 _"When did you know that you had feelings for me?" he said sneaking a quick peek at me before returning his focus to the road._

 _"I mean I always thought you were cute. I think the first time I considered it a crush was seventh grade," I said._

 _His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "You hid your feelings that long and watched girls throw themselves at me. You had to watch me date Jessica. Why would you put yourself through that?"_

 _"Do you remember how I was back then? I barely spoke to anyone outside of our group. What makes you think I would be able to verbalize my feelings? And then when we got older, I didn't want to smother you. We were in new territory with high school and I didn't want to tie you down when we were just figuring out who were really were. If you were happy, I was okay."_

 _"If I hadn't been so blind I would have noticed. I should have noticed," he said. "You should have just smacked me upside the head."_

 _"If you weren't driving and my life wasn't in your hands, I would do it right now for being so dramatic. If it makes you feel any better I did have a momentary lapse when I had a crush on Jacob Black the summer before high school."_

 _He frowned at my response. "Oh, I remember. You spent half the summer trying to convince us go to the beach at La Push and he wouldn't stop talking about you at little league practice."_

 _"I bet you guys loved that," I said nudging his shoulder gently._

 _"I thought Jasper was going to hog-tie him to the outfield fence if he asked us about you one more time," he replied._

 _I laughed as he went on to imitate Jacob's voice in a pitch a few octaves higher._

 _"Lucky for you, all of that came to an end when he met Vanessa Wolfe at the start of the school year," I said._

 _"Bless the Wolfe family for moving into town," he said with a deep sigh._

 _"I think I fell for you all over again when you ran into class late on the first day. Your hair was still wet and all over the place," I said._

 _He grinned. "I overslept because I didn't get a good morning text from a certain someone," he said._

 _"Yeah okay, whatever," I said leaning against the window taking in the flashes of green foliage that flew by._

The cool thing about being with Edward was that we were still best friends. So even when we didn't see eye to eye on things we would come right back out of habit. A habit that made it hard to stay mad at each other. With the addition of dates, more dinners with each other's families, hand-holding, and make-out sessions, not much had changed. I loved that now when I wore his jersey to his football and baseball that it meant more.

As for Jessica, she had tried to get Edward back twice. Once by laying out across the hood of his Volvo in a pink bikini. He laughed his ass off. Things had gone south with her and Mike when he told her that he had gotten a scholarship to University of Colorado. She faked a pregnancy to get him to stay. When he found she wasn't pregnant he broke up with her very publicly in the town's only diner. Now, her mother was sending her to live with her father in Vermont where she would attend community college.

On a happier note, I would joining Edward and Alice at UDub in the fall where Emmett and Rosalie would be sophomores. Jasper had decided to go to Boise State to play baseball. But, because his parents were pretty well off they had decided to pay for the hour and a half long flight whenever he wanted to come and visit.

"Bella? Are you zoning out during our spotlight dance?" Edward asked.

I leaned my head sheepishly against his chest. "Maybe."

"You're a goofball," he said.

"You love it," I said reaching down to poke him in the side.

He was quiet for a moment so I leaned back to get a glimpse of his face. I returned his crooked smile when I caught sight of it. He leaned down so his lips rested against my ear.

"Maybe one day we'll dance like this again, only you'll be in a white dress," he said.

 _Maybe_.

We did.


End file.
